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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. R. KINIPPLE. APPARATUS POR CARRYING SHIPS, 6m., UPON RAILWAYS.

Patented Oct. 25, 1892.

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W. R. KINIPPLE. APPARATUS P0P CARRYING SHIPS, Aw., UPON RAILWAYS.

No. 485,044. Patented Oct. 25, 1892.

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5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

APPARATUS POR CARRYING SHIPS, 8vo., UPON RAILWAYS.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

W. R. KINIPPLE. APPARATUS POP CARRYING SHIPS, Se., UPON RAILWAYS.

No. 485,044. Patented 001',i 25,1892.

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(No Model.) 5 sheets- Sheet 5.'

W. R. KINIPPLE.

APPARATUS POR CARRYING SHIPS, 65o., UPON RAILWAYS.

No. 485,044. y@@qqtggqq@@ lpl @Qtr/6232073 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

WALTER ROBERT KINIPPLE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR CARRYING SHIPS, 81,0., UPON RAILWAYVS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of LetteIS Patent NO. 485,044, dated October 25 1892 f O Application led Tune 2, 1892 Serial No. 435.300. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER ROBERT KIN- IPPLE, civil engineer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 3 Victoria Street, in the city of WVestininster, London, England, have invented certain Iinprovements in Gars or Apparatus for Carrying Ships or other Large and Heavy Bodies upon Railways, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to cars or apparatus by ineans of which ships or other large and heavy bodies may be safely conveyed on rail- Ways having curves and gradients, and has for its object to provide improved arrangements or constructions of such cars or apparatus. I will referto thebody tobeconveyed asa ship,7 which will be understood to mean, also, any other article to which the invention is applicable. For the safe transport of ships on railways provision has to be made for the deviations in a horizontal plane caused by curvatures of the1ine,and,further, for thedeviations in a vertical plane caused by the changes of gradient. Such deviations are provided for in my invention in the following manner, viz: I construct a car with a number of wheels proportionate to the dimensions and weight of the ship to be carried and attach such Wheels, either singly or in groups of two or more, as trolleys or bogies, by means of framework to a structure (preferably of iron or steel) of corrugated or partlycorrugated form, which structure by means of its corrugated or partlycorrugated form will be sufficiently lexible to adapt itself to the horizontal and vertical deviations of the railway. On the top of this corrugated or partly-corrugated structure I place what I terni hydrostatic double-ended compensating rocking' bellows, which contain water or other fluid and so act that at the changes of gradient of the railway one half of each bellows would be raised and the other half lowered, the bellows thus accommodating themselves to the varying changes of level and keeping a constant pressure upon thejunder side ot the structure on top of the bellows for carrying the ship, which structure may be a gridiron ponton or platform with or without longitudinal and cross girders, and will be strong and rigid both vertically and horizontally, so that the ship placed upon it will' not be subjected to any objectionable straining action.

At. or about the center ot each bellows I provide a saddle having a spherical surface and a pivot, forming together a turn-table which will allow the structure carryin01 th ship a limited amount ot' vertical andbhorizontal movement, by which means on passino* round a curve of the railway, while the wheelbs and the corrugated framework connected therewith will adjust themselves perfectly to the curves, the top structure carrying the ship will be free to move slightly horizoitally and vertically on the saddle in each bellows For small ships one double-ended bellows may be used, but for larger ships two or more may be used. At the varying changes of gradient causing changes of form of the bellows the water or other tiuid in the bellows will be displaced from one end to the other. A minimuni quantity of water or Huid will thus suftice in connection with this arrangement and so reduce the dead-weight to be carried.

In order to regulate the supportinwpower of'the bellows to suit the varying weights of ships to be carried, I provide in connectionwith each bellows an adjusting tank or reservoir or adjusting tanks or reservoirs containing water or other Huid, and I connect them by apipe or pipes with the bellows, and I provide means whereby such tanks can be raised or loweredin oider to attain a variable head or pressure of water or fluid in the bellows. 'One of the objects of the adjustingtanks is to raise or nearly raise the rifriad structure carrying the ship fromott' the sphrical saddle, and so, in conjunction with the p ivot acting as a center, to make the action similar to that of a water-borne turn-table The sides and ends of the bellows will be closed by a liexible material-such as indiarubber or india-rubber cloth or leather for example-protected from injury by a casin@ ot' leather, canvas, chain armor or other suit.- able material.

To provide foi' the vertical deviation, I may use, instead of bellows, a series of cups or hemispherical vessels with plun gers or trouOhshaped vessels, in either of which bagsbor containers filled with liquid are placedfsuch bags being connected with adjusting-tanks such as those hereinbet'ore referred to. The;

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whole of the trolleys forming the car would be connected together bya suitable draw-bar extending the full length of the car along the center line thereof.

To provide for the horizontal deviations, instead ofv employing the horizontal curvature of the aforesaid corrugated struct-ure, I may attach to the under side of such structure (which may or may not be corrugated).a series of girders or channel-shapedl guides extending across the said structure and each pivoted thereto at the center of its length, so that it may swing freely in ahorizontal plane within certain limits. Such swinging girders form guides for slide bearing-blocks attached to the upper side of the framework of trolleys having two or more wheels.l To each swinging girder there will be a trolley foreach line of rails, such trolleys preferably not beingA connected longitudinally. Transversely they might be connected or kept separate, as desired. When the car passes round a curve of the railway, each swinging girder will turn about its pivot, so' as to be radial to the curve, while the trolleys will move laterally and be guided by the bearing-blocks sliding inside and against the grooved girders. There f should be two groups of trolleys, one under each pivot, without swinging girders,to each of whi-ch group of trolleys the said corrugated or non-corfu gated structure will be con nected by means of pivots or turn-tables, so that such structure will turn slightly about such pivots and keep perfectly rigid horizontally on passing round curves; and in order that my said invention may be well understood, I now proceed more particularly to set forth ythe system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon-that is to say:

Figure l of the accompanying drawings is an elevation, and Fig. 2 is a` plan, of a shipcar having two double-ended bellows and two pivots or turn-tables arranged in accordance with my invention. y Fig. 3 is a cross-section (drawn to a larger scale) of Figs. 1 and 2, the left-hand half being taken through the bellows at d a. and the right-hand half being taken through the pivot or turn-table and bellows at b b. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section (also drawn to a larger scale) through the bellows, trolleys, ponton,and other parts at c c, Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section (to a larger scale, also) through the pivot or turn-table at d d, Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. is an elevation, and Fig. 7 is a plan, ofA a shipcar having one double-ended bellows, with a central pivot or turn-table, a leading group and a trailing group of trolleys surmounted by double-ended bellows, with an oval guide or pin working in a slot formed in the framework in each of the said groups of trolleys or in the underside of the structure. Fig. 8 is a cross-section (drawn to a larger scale) of Figs. 6 and 7, the left-hand half of Fig. 8 be- Ving taken at e e through the saddle, having a spherical surface and a pivot, and the righthand half being taken through the bellows, trolleys, and other parts atff, Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section through the trolleys, saddle or pivot, bellows, portion of ponton, and other parts at g g, Figs. 7 and 8. Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section through the trolleys, bellows, and portion of ponton at 7l "h, Fig. 8. Figs. 11 and. 12 are detailed sections (drawn to a still larger scale) of the flexible margins of the bellows, showing the forms of .the iiexible material at ditferent relative positions of the ponton and trolleys when traveling round curves and over,Y gradients. Fig. 13 is a cross-section of one of the trolleys fitted, as aforesaid, with cups orl hemispherical vesselswith plungers (or with trough-shaped vessels with plungers) and bags connected with adj listing-tanks. Fig. 14 is a plan of a group of trolleys tted up with guides, bearing-blocks, and a swinging girder pivoted at the center of its length to the rigid structure or ponton. Fig. 15 is a longitudinal section at t' i of Fig. 14.

I will presume in the following description that it is a ship that is to be carried.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 and the detail views thereof, I construct a car with a number of wheels jj, proportionate to the dimensions and weight of the ship K K to be carried, and I attach such wheels (either singly or in groups of two or more) as trolleys or bogies by meansof framework L Lto a structure (preferably of galvanized iron or steel) of corrugated or partly-corrugated form M M,

which may terminate at the outer edges ot' the trolleys at S S, (see Fig. 8,) or be turned up at its sides and ends, as shown at R R in Fig. 8, which structure by means of its corrugated or partly-corrugated form or exible connections r r between the trolleys will be sufficiently iiexible to adapt itself to the horizontal and vertical deviations of the railway.

` On the top of this corrugated or partly-corrugated structure M M, I place what I have termed hydrostatic double-ended compensating rocking bellows N N, which contain water or other iuid and so act that at the changes of gradient of the railway one half of each bellows will be raised and the other half lowered, the bellows thus accommodating themselves to the varying changes of level, as shown by Figs. 11 and 12, and keep- Ving a constant pressure upon the under side of the rigid structure O C) on the top of the bellows for carrying the ship K K, which rigid structure O O may be a gridiron, ponton, or platform with or without longitudinal and cross girders, and will be strong and rigid, both vertically and horizontally, so that the ship K K placed upon it (and shoved up therein, as may be necessary) will not be subjected to any objectionable straining action.

At or about the center of each bellows I provide a saddle P P, having a spherical surface and a pivotQ Q,f0rming together a turn-table,

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l adjust themselves tothe curves, the top or rigid structure O O, carrying the ship K K, will be free to move slightly horizontally and vertically on the saddle P P and around the pivot Q Q in each bellows. For small ships one double-ended bellows may be used, but` for larger ships two or more may beused.

At the varying changes of gradient causing changes of formof the bellows (see Figs. ll and I2) the water or other fluid in the bellows will be displaced from one end T to theother U. (See Figs. l and 6.) A minimum quantity of water or fluid will thus sutiice in connection with this arrangement, and so reduce the dead-weight to be carried.

In order to regulate the supportingpower of the bellows to suit the varying weights of shipsto be carried, I provide in connection with each bellows an adj listing-tank V or reservoir or adjusting tanks or reservoirs containing water or other liquid, and I connect them by a pipe W' or pipes with the interior of the bellows, and I provide screws X X or other means,whereby such tanks can be raised or lowered,in order to obtain a varying head or pressure of water or uid in the bellows. One of the objects of the adjusting-tanks is to enable the rigid structure or ponton O O, carrying the ship, to be raised or nearly raised from oft the spherical saddle P P, and so, in conjunction with the pivot Q, acting as a center, to make the action similar to that of a water-borne turn-table. i i

The sides and ends of the bellows are closed by a flexible material Y--such as, for example, india-rubber, india-rubber cloth, leather, or copper, or steel galvanized, or other suitablematerialwprotected from injury by a casing of leather, canvas, chain armor, or other suitable material at Z and, further, in order to so adjust the rigid structure and keep itin a vertical position laterally as soon as it is just clear of the saddle I provide tanks a, into which water or weights may be placed, so that any inequality in the weights of the sides of the rigid structure and ship may be balanced or adjusted.

To provide for the vertical deviations, I may use, instead of bellows, a series of cups or hemispherical vessels h' in the trolleys (see Fig. 13) with hemispherical plungers c or trough-shaped vessels with trough-shaped plungers, in either of which bags d or containers filled with liquid are placed, such spherical or trough-shaped bags being connected with adjusting-tanks V by pipes W, like those hereinbefore described. In the case of cups or hemispherical Vessels each trolley is so constructed as to carry one hemispherical cup with its plunger; but in the case of troughs and trough-shaped plungers .against the grocved girders II at h.

`two or more trolleys may be built together,

so as to carry the trough-shaped vessel, or in the case where the sides and ends of the corrugated or partly corrugated structure are turned up, as shown at R R, Fig. 8, the aforesaid hemispherical vessels or trough-shaped vessels, together with the containers, in connection with adjusting-tanks, may be placed inside the said corrugated structure under the ends of and for the purpose of balancing" or adjusting the rigid structure and ship on the central spherical saddle.

The trolleys forming the car are connected together by a suitable draw-bar e', extending .r el

the full length of the car along the center line thereof. The lines or trains of trolleys on each side of the said center line will have bumping-blocks f and linked connections g', so arranged as to allow the exact circumferential difference in each length ot the difter- Y `ent lines of trolleys due to the radius of each curve along which the trains of trolleys travel. The spaces or distances `at the junctions between the trolleys connected by the corrugated floor or by Iiexible materials r' r will be adjusted in proportion to the circumferential increase or decrease of length of the several trains of trolleys while passing round curves.

To provide for the horizontal deviations, "j

ers II H, which also serve as guides for adja-f cent rows of bearing-blocks la. Each of said guides is pivoted at about the middle of girders H Il to the under side of the structure M, allowing them to swing freely in a horizontal plane within a certain limit. When the car passes round a curve of the railway,

each swinging girder will turn aboutitspi-votm.

il', so as to be radial to the curve, while the trolleys will slide laterally and be guided by the bearing-blocks 7c 7n', sliding inside and There should in every car be a group of trolleys to carry the saddle and pivot, to which trolleys the said corrugated or noncorrugated structure is connected, and by means of pivots Q and saddles P P the rigid structure will turn slightly about such pivots, as in a waterborne turn-table, and be kept perfectly rigid horizontally on passing round curves.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the leading trolley m and the trailing trolley n are each surmonnted by a double-endedrocking bellows. In each trolley there is an ovalshaped pivot or guide o', working in a curved slotp, formed in the framework of the trolleys, which arrangement will admit of suflicient movement of the cars in passing around curves and over grades.

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The said leading and trailing trolleys and double-ended hydrostatic bellows are preferably arranged so as to balance or adjust the said rigid structure and ship on the central spherical saddle, to effect which the bellows are connected by pipes with the adjustingtanks V, which can be raised or lowered to such levels, heights, or positions as will enable a balance to be obtained or effected thereby, as hereinbefore described, or in the case where the sides and endsof the corrugated or partlycorrugated structure are turned up, as shown at R R in Fig. 8, the aforesaid hydrostatic bellows, in connection with adjusting tanks, may be placed inside the said corrugatedor partly-corrugated structure for the purpose of balancing the said rigid structure and ship.

On Figs. 1 and 6 engine-houses are shown at q q', in which hydraulic pumping-machinery will be placed to provide pressure for giving motion to machinery for propelling the ship-car when in sidings and for maintaining a full supply of water in the bellows,

J and adjusting-tanks to be drawn either from storage-reservoirs a d or compartments provided in the rigid structure, or elsewhere.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and inwhat manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- 1. In apparatus of the kind described, the combination, with suitable trucks and framei work for holding a vessel, of one or more supporting-bellows interposed between the trucks and framework and adapted to compensate for deviations in the railway, substantially as described.

2. In cars or apparatus for carrying ships or other large and heavy bodies upon railways, bellows which are arranged, as hereinbefore described, to support the structure carrying the ship or body and compensate for changes of gradient, substantially as hereinbefore described.

3. The combination, with the framework for holding the vessel, hydraulic bellows, a structure upon which the same rests, and trucks, of a swinging framework consisting of cross-girders forming guides for blocks se- Y cured on the trucks, pivotedto the under side of the said structure, substantially as described.

4. In apparatus of the kind described, the combination, with the framework for holding thevessel anda flexible structure restingon the trucks and having a pivotal connection with the framework, of a compensating bellows interposed between said framework and structure, including the pivotal connection, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the trucks and framework for carrying the vessel, the bottom of which framework forms the upper wall,'of a compensating bellows, a liexible structure resting upon the trucks and forming the lower wall of the bellows, and eXible material for connecting the bottom of the framework or upper wall with the iiexible structure or lower wall, thereby forming a water-tight compartment, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 

